The detection of the overexpression of p16INK4a in biological samples has proven as a useful marker in the detection of anogenital lesions such as carcinoma of the uterine cervix (see WO00/01845; Klaes et al., Int. J. Cancer: 92, 276-284 (2001)). The method based on p16INK4a-specific immuno-chemical staining allows for a sensitive and specific identification of dysplastic cells in tissue section and in cytological samples.
In immuno-histochemical examinations of tissues, neoplastic cells can be stained using a p16INK4a specific antibody mediated staining procedure. The histological diagnosis of neoplastic lesions can thus be supported by a staining based on a molecular marker characteristic for transformation of cells in anogenital lesions. The diagnosis, whether or not cells are neoplastic, in these procedures is not solely based on the p16INK4a specific staining, but does also rely on the histological information.
This is due to the fact, that in about 30% of samples, metaplastic cells show some immunoreactivity with p16INK4a specific antibodies, and thus are stained in the course of the procedures. Yet the staining pattern yielded from these metaplastic cells differs from the pattern, which renders from neoplastic lesions. Metaplastic cells give rise to a patchy or focal staining pattern, whereas neoplastic lesions give rise to diffuse staining pattern. Moreover, the staining intensities of metaplastic cells are predominantly less than that of neoplastic cells.
The common methods used in screening tests for the early detection of neoplasias do not employ histology based tests, but do rather rely on cytological testing procedures. Yet especially in cases, when there is no histological information available concerning the architecture of tissues, such as for example in cytological examinations, testing for p16INK4a overexpression alone may lead to false positive results. This is due to the fact, that the metaplastic cells expressing p16INK4a at detectably elevated levels, may not be differentiated by means of a histological staining patterns.
The percentage of cells showing overexpression of p16INK4a increases in the course of emergence of dysplasias. So in neoplastic or preneoplastic stages, when only a restricted population of neoplastic or preneoplastic cells is present in samples the immunoreactivity of p16INK4a may be weak. This weak immunoreactivity may be of about the level as the level caused by metaplastic cells. In later stages of dysplasias the overall immunoreactivity of p16INK4a is stronger and so neoplastic lesions are easily discernible from metaplasias even in a cytological testing format. This might lead to cases, where the presence of metaplastic cells expressing p16INK4a might be confused with the presence of neoplastic cells, and thus produces a false positive result.
Especially in screening tests, where the detection of early stages of neoplasias is desirable this condition is quite unpleasant. This is especially true, as the p16INK4a based diagnosis has proven to be a valuable tool in histological examinations and the application in cytological based screening procedures would be able to enhance these established procedures.
To reduce false positive results in cytological testing formats and so to further enhance the fidelity of the p16INK4a mediated diagnosis of anogenital lesions, a method for discriminating the metaplasias from neoplastic and dysplastic lesions would be desirable. The problem in the art especially pertains to early stages of neoplasias, when the percentage of cells showing p16INK4a overexpression is still at a level, that might be confused with levels of normally occurring p16INK4a overexpressing proliferating metaplastic cells. Thus, useful means for solving the present problem have to involve parameters, that characterize early stages of neoplasias of the anogenital tract. Any characteristics of dysplasias and/or neoplasias emerging during the progress of tumorigenesis, thus proving as diagnostic tools for high grade dysplasias, and are limited in early stages of tumorigenesis are not suitable for the method according to the present invention.